IND vs PAK, T20 World Cup: India make 2 big changes as Pakistan opt to bowl first, Know playing XIs here

India take on Pakistan as Salman Ali Agha won the toss and elected to bowl first in their T20 World Cup 2026 clash at the R Premadasa stadium in Colombo on February 15.

India made two changes in their playing XI. While Abhishek Sharma replaced Sanju Sharma, Arshdeep Singh made room for Kuldeep Yadav in India's playing XI.

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What did the captains say at the toss?

Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha, after winning the toss, said:

"We want to bowl first. It looks a bit tacky, so we feel it will assist the bowlers for the first few overs so we want to use that. We are relaxed in our group and excited for this challenge. Bigger ground than SSC and the pitch is slower than SSC. Same team for us."

Meanwhile, India skipper Suryakumar Yadav, after losing the toss, said:

"Not at all, we were looking to bat first. We won last two games defending so we don't want to change it. It is an occasion, it's a high-stake game. This sport teaches you a lot of things, any side can win the game on a given day. Two changes. Abhishek Sharma comes in and Kuldeep Yadav is in for Arshdeep Singh."

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India (Playing XI):

Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan(w), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah

Pakistan (Playing XI):

Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Agha(c), Babar Azam, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Usman Khan(w), Shaheen Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Tariq

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India vs Pakistan Head to Head

The historic rivalry between India and Pakistan last reached a fever pitch during the final of the 2025 Asia Cup. In that encounter, India secured a hard-fought five-wicket victory to claim the title, reinforcing their recent dominance over their neighbors.

Statistically, India has maintained a firm grip on the T20 format when facing Pakistan. As of the 2026 World Cup, the Men in Blue have amassed 13 victories in the shortest format, while Pakistan has managed to secure only three wins in their head-to-head encounters.

Matches played: 16
India: 12
Pakistan: 3
Tied: 1
Last result: India won by five wickets (Dubai, 2025)